Hyundai unveiled two new production models to a European audience at the Geneva Motor Show. Both cars encapsulate the spirit of Hyundai's new brand slogan: ‘New Thinking. New Possibilities'.
Making its world premiere at the show, Hyundai's new European family model, the i40 estate version, took centre stage. And it is the lifestyle estate with a 1.7 litre diesel engine that will be the first to arrive in Ireland in July. It will be followed before the end of the year by a dynamic saloon version and also the i40 hatchback.
The i40 was designed and engineered at Hyundai's R&D headquarters in Germany, to meet the exacting demands of European retail and fleet buyers. With this new family size model, Hyundai says it has set out to make premium quality accessible to everyone, in line with its ‘modern premium' philosophy.
The company says a number of features on i40 are not yet available on some competitor cars, including heated, folding rear seats, an auto-defog system that automatically detects and clears mist on the windscreen, and a heated steering wheel.
Hyundai points out that the i40 demonstrates Hyundai's commitment to global leadership in eco-friendly technology with its 1.7-litre ‘U-II' diesel engine emitting as little as 113g/km of CO2 - a best-in-class figure.
Hyundai's 'Five Year Triple Care' assurance package comes as standard on i40, featuring a five-years unlimited-mileage warranty, five years' roadside assistance, and five years of vehicle health checks.
Hyundai hopes to sell 800 to 1000 i40s in 2012, which would give the marque a four to five per cent of the D segment or family car market in Ireland.
Hyundai Veloster 3-door coupe
The i40 was joined on the Hyundai stand in Geneva by the new Veloster. It is the company's ground-breaking new three-door coupe that made its European debut.
The Veloster is due to arrive in Ireland in late November with a 1.6 petrol engine, and is expected to compete with the Volkswagen Scirocco.
The Veloster features a unique 1+2 door configuration, which includes a rear door on the passenger side for greater flexibility, giving safe and easy access to the spacious interior without compromising the style and aesthetics of the coupe form.
Hyundai's Veloster three-door coupe will be specially engineered for British customers. The coupe has one door on the driver's side and front and rear doors on the passenger side - and it will switch them round for right hand drive markets such as Britain and Ireland, unlike the Mini which kept the same configuration for all markets on its Clubman.
The Veloster redefines the sports coupe segment with its unparalleled combination of real-world practicality, sporting looks and cutting-edge technology. With Hyundai's new six-speed double-clutch transmission and an efficient 1.6-litre GDI petrol engine, the Veloster has CO2 emissions of just 132g/km, completing the car's innovative package.
Hyundai says the Veloster is a full four-seater with a rear passenger door, wrapped up in a coupe body, so it is both sporty and practical.
Hyundai plans to have both pre-production i40s and Veloster left-hand-drive models to promote the cars ahead of their launch here.
